Various approaches have been taken to develop degradable or biodegradable synthetic plastic materials. These approaches include photodegration where a polymer such as polyethylene is synthesized incorporating functional groupings such as a carbonyl that could undergo photolysis in the environment during disposal. Another approach is to produce polyesters and polyamides that are truly biodegrade. Such examples include poly caprolactams/polycaprolactones (Potts, et al., Am. Chem. Soc., Polymer Preprints, 1972, 13(2), 629), polyhydroxy butyrate (PHBs), polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerates (Holmes, P. A., Phys. Technol. 1985, 16, 32-36), and poly lactides.
More recent approaches include plastics such as glycidyl monomers such as Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether or Bisphenol A propoxylate diglycidyl ethers to form BPA-polycarbonates formed in whole or in part by BPA. However, the by-product contaminants from the manufacturing of bisphenols is problematic and produces various contaminants. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,133,486. Additionally, BPA polymetric products may present a problem as the BPA is known to be an endocrine disruptor. As such, BPA has been banned in Canada and EU in infant related items. Hence, there is a need to further develop a reaction process that preferably utilizes two completely renewable materials to generate novel elastomeric protein derivatives at moderate temperatures that could be used as stable environmentally friendly materials. Additionally, this reaction process would preferably not produce by-product contaminants.